7 Boxes
7 Boxes is a 2012 Paraguayan thriller film directed by Juan Carlos Maneglia and Tana Schémbori.
Initially the film was to be released in June 2011, but was delayed when the film was accepted as a competitor in the International Film Festival of San Sebastian in Spain.
After months of work, the film was finally released on August 10, 2012, and received praise from critics and the public as well as breaking box office records in Paraguayan cinemas. 7 Boxes won the "Films in Progress" in what was the first unanimous decision in the festival's history. The film participated at the Moscow International Film Festival in June 2013, after the festival, it was shown several times in various Moscow cinemas.
Plot
On a hot Friday in April 2005 in Asunción, a 17-year-old pushcart porter named Víctor is distracted while daydreaming about being famous and admired at a DVD booth in the middle of a market, causing him the loss of a customer. Acknowledging the competitiveness of the market, and fearing for the security of his job, Víctor realizes that he needs to work harder to make money that day. He then receives an unusual proposal: he is asked to transport seven boxes of unknown contents, in exchange for half of a torn $100 bill and the promise of the other half when the job is done. With a borrowed cell phone, which the contractor uses to keep track of his progress, Víctor begins the journey accompanied by a hyperactive young woman named Liz. While crossing the eight blocks covering the market, one of the boxes is stolen and Víctor loses the cell phone, and the police are roaming the market searching for something. Meanwhile, a group of porters is ready to escort the boxes for almost nothing. Unknowingly, Víctor, Liz, and their pursuers are involved in a crime of which they know nothing; not the cause, nor the victim or perpetrator. As night falls Víctor realizes that he is now an accomplice in a dangerous crime.Cast
- Celso Franco as Víctor, a porter who aspires to become a famous actor. He is recruited to transport seven mysterious boxes in exchange for one hundred dollars.
- Lali González as Liz, a young woman who accompanies Víctor on his mission.
- Nelly Davalos as Tamara
- Jin Hyuk Johnny Kim as Jim
- Víctor Sosa as Nelson
- Nico García as Luis
Accolades
The film was nominated at the 27th Goya Awards for Best Spanish Language Foreign Film representing Paraguay.7 Boxes won the "Films in Progress" in what was the first unanimous decision at the International Film Festival of San Sebastian.